Machinery for making hollow rubber balls



April 14, 1931. w. E. HUMPHREY 1,301,085

MACHINERY FOR MAKING HOLLOW RUBBER BALLS 7 Filed May 16, 1930 4SheetsSheet l I """"""'1 I l April 1931 w. E. HUMPHREY MACHINERY FORMAKING HOLLOW RUBBER BALLS Filed May 16, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORApril 14, 1931.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ig am Patented Apr. 14, 1931 QUNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE -W'ALT35K E. HUMPHREY, OF JEANNIJTTE, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNQR TO PENNSYL- VANIA RUBBER COMPANY, OF. JEANNETTE, PENNSYLVANIA,A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA MACHINERY FOR. MAKING- HOLLOW' RUBBERBALLS Application filed May is,

' My invention relates to improvements in machinery for making hollowrubber balls, and finds practical application in machinery for makingtennis balls. The machine of 1 my invention is a machine of simplestructure, easily maintained in condition, easily operated, and itaffords accuracy and uniformity in its effect upon the articles dealtwith, and that is a matter of no little importance in is the productionof an article so minutely standardized as atennis ball. Furthermore, theoutputisrapid, as the conditions of the industry require.

' A machine built in embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Fig. I is a view of the machine in sideelevation; Fig. II, a view in end elevation: From Fig. II certain partshave, for simplicity of showing, been omitted. Fig. III is a view inhorizontal section, on the plane indicated at IIIIII, Fig. I,and showingin plan the driving parts of the machine. Fig. IV is a fragmentary viewof the machine in plan from above.

In the production of tennis balls and other hollow rubber balls,hemispherical shells of raw rubberare pressed in molds, and, while stillin the molds, are partially cured. Each ball is formed of twocomplementary shells" having oppositely beveled edges, ans the ball iscompleted by uniting the two shells, bevel'ed edge to beveled edge, andby completing vulcanization ofthe so built up blank.

In the molding of the hemispherical shells, good practice requires thata small excess of raw rubber be placed in the mold, and in consequence,in the pressing operation a flash orfin is extruded between the edges ofthe meeting mold parts. This fin is developed along the outer edge ofthe hemispherical shell. In preparation forfurther manufacturing steps,the fin must be removed. The be'v'elededges of tlieshells are formed inthe molds, but the faces of the bevel's, which are to meet and to becemented to or otherwise united with complementary faces, requirefurther preparation, by butting, before the cement is applied. Themachine of my invention trims away the fins and buffs the bevel-fac'es(if-the hemispherical sheila-as they 1830. Serial No. 452,889.

come from the molds in which they have been molded ball parts for unioninto completed balls.

It will be understood that, throughout this specification, I use theterm rubber with the meaning it has in common parlance. It is rubber,properly so called, but modified by mixture with it of other materials,designed to give to the finished article the physical properties whichsuit it precisely to its intended use.

A movable and, advantageously, rotary carrier 1 is mounted in a suitableframe 2. This carrier is conveniently circular in plan and is equippedperipherally with a plurality of seats 11, upon which an attendant mayplace, concavity downward, one by one, the hemispherical shells as theycome from the molds The drawings shows nine such seats. The particularnumber is not material. The seats 11 are, in fact, the upper ends ofplungers which protrude through openings formed in carrier 1; theplungers form with the carrier a single rotatable unit, but they arevertically reciprocable, relatively to the carrier, to achieve the endsin view.

A second movable and, advantageously, rotary carrier 3 is mounted in theframe 2. It is arranged in a higher plane, but in a plane parallel tothat of carrier 1, and it overhangs carrier 1. Conveniently, the carrier3 also is circular and of equal size with carrier 1; and it too isprovided peripherally with a plurality of seats 31, conveniently equalin number to those of carrier 1. The

overlap is sufficient and the proportions are shape with concavityshaped to the zone of a sphere,and they are idly rotatable in carri I.tion a where transfer is effected of a rubber rested for apredetermined interval. During the interval of such arrest ahemispherical shell of rubber, about to be operated upon, may betransferred from its seat in carrier 1 to the aligned seat in carrier 3;while, at the same time, from another seat in carrier 3 anotherhemispherical shell, having been operated upon, is discharged. Oppositerotation of the two carriers in synchronism is effectedby equipping theshafts of the carriers with interengaging gear wheels, 14 and 34, ofequal size; and the desired intermittence of rotation is efifected bythe provision of a constantly rotating shaft 4, equipped with a crank141 and a crank-pin 142, which crank-pin engages intermittently, asshaft 4- rotates, a star gear-wheel or Geneva cam 35, with which theshaft of one of the two carriers is equipped.

A plunger 16 is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the frame 2 and isso situated that, when the rotating carriers come to rest, it is beneathand'is vertically aligned with the aligned seats 11 and 31. I have saidthat the seats 11 are, in fact, the upper ends of verticallyreciprocable plungers. These plungers 11 come to rest in alignment withplunger 16, and, while the carriers continue at rest, plunger 16 makesits reciprocation upward and down again. In its upward stroke plunger 16drives plunger 11, and the latter in its rise carries a rubberhemisphere seated uponit into the aligned seat 31 of the overhangingcarrier. The hemisphere is then engaged externally by seat 31, and whenthe plunger 11 descends again the hemisphere remains seated in carrier3. Springs 17 are provided for returning plungers 11 and with themplunger 16 to the lower limit of the range of reciprocation. The upwardreciprocation is effected I in desired periodicity, andin organizedsynchronism with carrier'rotation, by means of a cam 18 mounted on aconstantly rotating shaft 19. It is against the thrust of this cam thatsprings 17 yield.

Referring to Fig. IV, thedirection of rotation of carrier 3 may beunderstood to be counter-clockwise. Of thenine, stations in the courseof a complete rotation, it is stahemisphere from carrier. 1 to carrier3, and

,it is 'sta tion bwheredischarge is effected of theihemisphere fromcarrier '3. g The seats with which carrier 3 is equipped have beendescribed to include annular members 31, and, cooperating with these,central, vertically reciprocable plungers 32 are provided. Normally theplunger 32 is held by the tension of a spring 37 at theupper limit ofits range of reciprocation, and when in such position the seat 31 iscapable of receiving and retaining a rubber hemisphere, introduced inthe manner described. When the carrier 3 comes to rest the plunger 32associated with that hemisphere seat which is at the station I) (Fig.IV) is caused to reciprocate downward, and in so doing to drive a seatedhemisphere from the seat, allowing it to fall to a receptacle therearranged to receive it. The

same cam 18 which effects the upward thrust of plunger 16 may, throughlever 33, link 34, shaft 35, and arm 36, effect simultaneously thedownward thrust of the plunger 32 of that hemisphere seat which is atstation 6.

Referring still to Fig. IV, it is during the advance of a rubberhemisphere seated in carrier 3, from station ato station b,thatinstrumentalities act upon it, first, to trim away the flash or fin fromits periphery; ald, second, to buff the face of its beveled e ge. p

The flash-trimming means conveniently take the form of a pair ofconstantly rotating circular blades 41 and 42 which cooperate in a planeangularly disposed to thevertical (Fig. I), and which are adapted toengage the flash at the very edge of a seated hemi-, sphere as, in therotation of carrier 3, it comes to the station indicated at c, Fig. IV.The hemisphere seat 31 is freely rotatable in carrier 3; and, as a seatbearing a hemisphere approaches station c and is engaged by theconstantly rotating shears, it responds by rotation to the entrainingefiect of the cooperating rotary shear blades; andthe 0011-. sequenceand effects is that, while the individual hemisphere continues atstation 0, the flash which it has borne is cut neatly and completelyaway, and falls to a receptacle provided for it. From station 0 thehemisphere advances in trimmed condition. j I

At a station beyond 0, at the station d (Fig. IV), the bevelededge ofthe hemisphere is bufied. As the rotatable seat 31 comes to position 03,a disk 38 with which it is equipped is engaged by a constantly rotatingfriction disk 51, and by such engagement is pos1- =reciprocable stem53,- and reciprocation in synchronism with the movement of other partsof the machine may be efiected by means of a cam,54, borne by a shaft55. Means are provided for rotating stem53, and with it buffer wheel 52,at least during so much of the time asthe stem and wheel are in elevatedposition. 1 Such rotatingmeans 1-; e nd e sd by. t er llyt wh h. be;

. ti've pos1t1on,

615i and the tangency will be a tangency not neurons understood to besplined to stem 53. The direction of rotation is opposite to that which,by the instrumentalities described, is imparted to the carrier-bornehemisphere. A spring 57 tends to hold the stem 53 at the lower limit ofits range of reciprocation. From such lower position the stem and withit wheel 52 are, periodically, raised to functioning position, by meansof cam 54.

The wheel 52 is here shown to have an upwardly tapering conical face;its angular inclination is such' as to correspond to that of theinwardly disposed bevel of a hemisphere borne by carrier 3; and itsdiameter is less than that of a hemisphere to be buffed, to the endthat, arranged (when in operation) within the concavity of thehemisphere, it shall engage the edge of the hemisphere along a singleline.

When a carrier-borne hemisphere trimmed at station 0 has advancedtostation d, bufier wheel 52 rises and engages its beveled edge.Opposite rotation of the hemisphere and of the bufie r wheel 52 upontheir several axes efie'cts the butting of the edge of the hemisphere.When the bufling has so been com pleted, cooperation of cam 54; andspring 57 effect the return of the buffer wheel to inacleaving thehemisphere free to advance as carrier 3 turns again, until at length itcomes to station It will be understood that ordinarily two machines ofthe sort described are provided, one for the hemispheres with inwardlybeveled edges; the other for hemispheres with outwardly beveled edges.And it will be understood that the second machine may be identical withthat here shown and described, except in the minute shape and positionof the buffer wheel 52. In that other machine the working face of thebuiler wheel will be tangent to the hemisphere rim, not internally, butexternally. Again, one and the same machine may be built to carryalternatively either inner-bevel buliing instrumentalities orouter-bevel buffing instrumentalities; and, after a quantity ofhemispheres of one shape have been trimmed and bufied, the machine maybe changed over, "and a corresponding quantity of hemispheres of theother shape may be trimmed and buffed.

I'ha-ve described the bufiing instrumentalities as including means forrotating the rubber hemisphere and the buffer wheel in oppositedirections. This is preferable; though, manifestly, it is essential tosuccessful bufiing only that along the line in which the bufling wheelmeets the surface to be buried the speeds of movement shall be innon-conformity. \Vhen it comes to bufling an outward facing bevel, thebuiiing wheel will be arranged not within the circle of the rubberhemisphere (as shown in the drawings), but outside of the circle of therubber hemisphere;

b and is discharged.

from the inside but from the outside of the rubber hemisphere. In sucharrangement, it will ordinarily be preferred that the rubber hemisphereand the boiling wheel rotate in the same direction; in which case thetwo surfaces on the line of tangency will be moved in oppositedirections. It is entirely within the knowledge of a machine builder toeffect rotationof the buffer wheel in whichever direction may bedesired, and to provide instrumentalities by which from one source thebufier wheel may be rotated in either of the two directions, to suitconditions where in a single machine two bufler wheel positions arealternately to be assumed, either that of internal tangency or that ofexternal tangency.

In describing the flash trimming means, I have explained that the seat31, rotatable in carrier 3, may be freely responsive to the rotativeinfluence imparted to it when the rotary shear blades engage the flashof a hemisphere borne by the seat. It is manifestly practicable by suchmeans as I have described for rotating the seat when at the station d,to rotate it positively when at the station 0. Or it is entirelypossible by other means to rotate it positively when at the station 0.In such case the rotative effect of the shearing blades themselves willnot be relied upon, and the shearing instrumentalities may then be ofsuch particular form and character as the engineer may choose,regardless of whether they have rotative effect upon the article or not.

In operation an attendant places the hemispheres as they come from themolds, concavity down, upon the seats 11 as in the rotation of carrier 1the seats come successively to station m. Upon carrier 1 the hemisphereadvances until it comes to alignment beneath a seat in carrier 3, atstation a. Thereupon the stem whose upper end has constituted the seatfor the hemisphere rises, and thrusts the hemisphere into a seat 31 incarrier 3. The stem 11 then descends, leaving the hemispherefrictionally held in its seat in carrier 3. Borne by carrier 3, thehemisphere advances, and comes at length to station 0. As it approachesstation 0 the flash which extends from its edge is engaged by therotating blades 41-, 42 of the trimming device. The hemisphere and theseat 31 in which it is engaged rotate in response to the stress exertedby the rotating cutter blades, and while the hemisphere continues atstation 0 the flash is trimmed away. In the further turning of carrier 3the hemisphere comes to station cl, and when at that station the seat 31and the hemisphere with it are positivel rotated in one directionwhilethebufier whee tangent to its beveled edge, is positively rotatedin opposite direction. When butting has so been accomplished, the cam 54and the spring 57 efiect the withdrawal of the buflt'er wheel, and thenthe rotation of carrier 3 is resumed. When buffed hemisphere reachesstation I), plunger 32 descends and drives the fully machined hemispherefrom its seat in carrier 3.

I have described the machine, in simple form, particularly in thisrespect-that the hemisphere is retained first upon one seat and thenupon another by friction alone (or by friction with the aid of gravity).Manifestly, the machine may be elaborated, and the friction seats may bereplaced with suctioncupssuch as are well known in conveying apparatusof various sorts.

Iclaim as my invention:

1. In rubber-ball making machinery the combination of a movable carrier,means rotatably borne in'said carrier and adapted to engage ahemispherical shell of rubber, a reciprocable plunger adapted to drive ahemispherical shell of rubber from such engaging means, and shearingmechanism and buffing mechanismarranged to operate successively upon ashell in place in said carrier at successive stages in the progress ofcarrier movement. 1

2. In rubber-ball making machinery the combination of an intermittentlyrotatable carrier, a seat for a hemisphere of rubber rotatably mountedin said carrier, automatic means for placing a hemisphere of rubber insuc seat, automatic means for ejecting a hemisphere of rubber from suchseat, the two said means being spaced apart at an interval with respectto a complete rotation of the carrier, and a flash trimmer and-an edgebuffer arranged in cooperative relation to said carrier and interposedbetweensaid placing and ejecting means and adapted to act in successionupon a hemisphere of rubber in place in such seat.r I

--3'. In rubber-ball making machinery the combination of two rotarycarriers. arranged in parallel and spaced-apart planes and over lappingthroughout a portion only of their extent, means for rotating the saidcarriers in synchronism and with ordered intermittency,

means for ejecting a hemisphere of rubber from the second carrier, andmeans cooperating with the second carrier for trimming a hemisphere ofrubber while borne by the sec- 0nd carrier and during an interval ofintermitted rotation thereof.

4. In rubber-ball making machinery the combination of two rotarycarriers arranged in parallel and spaced-apart planes and oversecondcarrier, and m'eanscooperating withat length the trimmed and byreciprocationstomeans for transferring a hemisphere of rubber from onecarrler to the other,

the second carrier for bufiingtlie ed e of a hemisphere of rubber whileborne y the second carrier and during aninterval of intermitted rotationthereof.

5.,In rubber-ball making machinery the combination of two rotarycarriers arranged in parallel and spaced-apart planes and overlappingthroughout a portion-only of their extent, means for rotating saidcarriers in synchronism and with ordered intermittency, a seat in one ofsaid carriers and a plunger borne by the other of said carriersandadapted to sustain a hermisphere of rubber and in the seat of theothercarrier, means effective when carrier rotation is intermitted toreciprocate said plunger, and a tool adapted to engage a hemisphere ofrubber when borne in the aforesaid carrier seatand during an interval ofintermitted rotation of the car rier.

place such hemisphere 6. In rubber-ball making machinery the combinationof a rotary carrier, means for rotating said carrier with orderedintermittency, a seat for a hemisphere of rubber borne by said carrier,a tooluadapted'to engagea hemisphere of rotation thereof, and means forejecting a hemisphere of rubber from said seat, such means including areciprocatory plunger and means co-ordinated with the carrier-rotatingmeans and adapted to reciprocate thesaid: plunger during theintermittency of carrier adapted to engage the rim of a hemisphere ofrubber in place in said seat, together with means for rotating said seatin non-conformity to the rotation of the bufier wheel when the bufiingwheel'is in engagement with a seated hemisphere.

8. In rubber-ball making machinery the combination of an intermittentlymovable carrier, a seat for a hemisphere of rubber rotatably bornebysaid carrier, and a buffing -wheel mounted ad acent said carrier and r0-tatable and axially reciprocable in such mounting.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I r WALTER E.HUISIPHREY.

rubber when seated in the said carrier and during an interval ofintermitted

